The Garden of Wishes
by Hilaire
Summary: CHAPTER TWO UP. Misaki was brilliant, and quite perfect - a genius beyond his years. And yet even he wasn't sure how to handle this one. "I'll sleep in your room tonight, Misaki-sensei." Set five years before the anime. Student/teacher. Misaki-centric.
1. The Young Genius

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gakuen Alice.**  
Claimer:** This fan fiction and the OCs are mine.

This story follows only the anime, and takes place _five years before _ its timeline. The interpretation of Misaki presented in this fic is my own, and has been drawn up based entirely on the anime. I _don't_ read the manga, so please overlook any inconsistencies with it that will undoubtedly turn up.

* * *

**The Garden of Wishes**

Misaki was brilliant, and quite perfect – a genius beyond his years.  
And yet even he wasn't sure how to deal with this one.  
"I'll sleep in your room tonight, Misaki-sensei."

* * *

**Lesson One**

**The Young Genius**

"Coffee?"

Misaki looked up from the papers he had been checking, an easy smile falling on his face when he saw Serina Yamada. She was holding two cups of the hot beverage, handing one over to him. "Thank you, Serina," he said, grateful for the interruption. "I really need this one."

Serina took her place behind her desk. "No doubt you do. You've been on those papers since I left."

"I'm checking their essays," he said lightly, putting away his pen before taking a sip of his coffee. He had been working alone in the faculty room for nearly three hours now, and his back was aching from his slouch. "Remind me not to give this type of quiz again."

The other teacher raised an eyebrow at him. "You've already given a quiz? It's only been a week back."

"I give a quiz the day after we finish a topic," he said, getting to his feet as he decided on a brief breather. _Ten minutes. _He flinched, feeling the sudden twinge on his legs; he'd been seated so long it must have numbed his muscles. "Ow."

"Why do I have a feeling they're going to hate you for that?" Serina asked with a chuckle, watching him stretch and walk awkwardly to the window next to her desk.

"Probably. But I think it's a better arrangement; it keeps what they learned in check while reiterating the details they missed," he said, taking another sip of his drink. "Don't worry; everything's fine. I'm still having fun."

She seemed amused by this remark. "You have a feeling you won't be having fun for too long?"

He almost laughed. He had spent enough time in the Academy to know by heart how exactly things worked inside the school. "I'm teaching alices, and I've seen how our classmates tortured our teachers back then. I'm getting along well with my elementary students, but I'm ready for the worst."

Serina could only nod, apparently having remembered their elementary days together. Their class had the best (or _worst_, depending on who looked at it) record of causing teacher transfer, if not resignation. "What about your high school class?"

"It's better than I had expected," he admitted. "Class A knows their stuff well, and they're very involved during discussions. I had to make changes to the syllabus and slow down the lessons, though. Leaving it as it was would have cramped their schedule with lab activities."

Serina looked impressed. "It's hard to believe you're only supposed to be teaching elementary general science." She smiled, seeming to have remembered something. "I heard they like you better than Ryuuki-sensei," she said, referring to the high school Biology teacher he was substituting for.

Misaki only smiled, feeling mildly embarrassed.

It had only been a week since he started in Alice Academy, as a general science teacher of elementary school students. He had been assigned to teach two elementary classes - a perfectly reasonable load for a beginner like himself, although inwardly Misaki would have liked to handle at least three in his first semester.

He never would have thought he'd actually get what he wanted.

Three days after the resumption of classes, the biology teacher Ryuuki Seijirou had called up, apologizing for his absence and saying he wouldn't be back for an indefinite period. It had been most unexpected, leaving the faculty briefly unsure who to replace him with. The schedule for the semester had already been arranged, and Ryuuki-sensei's nonappearance caused quite a holdup, especially to the classes he had been teaching before the summer vacation.

It was the principal of the high school division who provided a solution to the problem: He suggested that Misaki substitute for high school Class A's teacher and hold the biology classes himself.

The proposal had left Misaki stumped, knowing that a _suggestion _of any principal was tantamount to a directive that should be followed. When he finally gathered himself he nearly snapped at the student, quite certain that the younger man did not know what the hell he was talking about.

But of course the principal did. Without pausing to hear out any protests, the student proceeded to highlight Misaki's accomplishments – something that no one could dispute.

Misaki was only twenty-two years old, and yet he was arguably far more accomplished than any of his peers. He had finished high school at eighteen, after which he took up an education course in college. Through extra credits and taking up more units than required during the semesters, he finished in only three years what should have been a four-year course, graduating top of his class at age twenty-one.

On the same year of his graduation, Misaki decided to take the qualifying examination for teachers. It was six months later, while he was presenting a proposal to the family business' board of directors, that he was interrupted and informed that he topped the exam. On the evening of the same day, his guests included two representatives of Alice Academy, carrying with them an invitation for him to join the school's teaching faculty.

At the age of twenty-two, Misaki had the record of being the youngest teacher to be admitted in the Academy.

Misaki frowned, remembering how the rest of the meeting with the High School Principal went. The younger man had been imperious and smug, and he did exactly what Misaki hated the most: He talked about Misaki's achievement.

Talking about himself was one thing Misaki never bested; he always tried to avoid it if he could. He was proud of himself, yes, but he had never been keen on discussing his accomplishments with other teachers, much less naming each and every one of them. It always left him more embarrassed than anything else, feeling slightly estranged from everyone around him.

"Oh, come on, Misaki," Serina said, disrupting his musings. "It's fulfilling to receive compliments from your students, isn't it?"

At this he broke into a guilty grin. Hell, but he couldn't agree more: It was indeed fulfilling. When he chose his profession, he never imagined that what his students had to say could mean so much to him, but now he knew that it did. There was something oddly exhilarating about it, knowing that he was doing his work well and that his students appreciated the effort he put into it.

"I won't lie: It really _is_."

He was so sure he meant it more than anything else he'd ever said in his life.

**x ~ x ~ x **

The seventeen-year-old Madoka Katashiro threw herself onto the bed, landing on her stomach in a heap. "I'm so tired," she groaned, burying her face in the pillows. For a few moments she only lay there, catching her breath, until at last she rolled over onto her side to stare at the familiar wallpaper of her room.

"I'm here," she said, assuring herself that she was finally back in the Academy.

It had been on the last week of vacation that the Academy called for her, just after she arrived from an assignment outside the school. The anonymous administrator she usually spoke to had then granted her a two-week vacation outside the Academy, even allowing for an additional one week if two wasn't enough.

"_You're sending me _out _of the Academy?" she asked. "What is this about?"_

She had been furious, and confused: The Academy very rarely let students leave its premises, and that it was even allowing her a one-week extension was simply too much. At the time, there was only seven days left of the official school break, which meant going away would make her miss the first week of classes.

The school administrator later explicated that her guardian had stipulated her little holiday, reasoning that there was a certain family matter that necessitated her attendance.

"_You haven't been using your one-week vacation since you were eleven, so we decided to consent to your guardian's demands."_

"_But what about _my_ consent?" she said, trying to contain the sudden anger that came over her. "You didn't even ask me if I wanted to go."_

"_It wouldn't have made a difference," the administrator said. "Until you're eighteen, you're still under the strict supervision of your guardian, and the Academy cannot go against his wishes." There was a brief pause, and then quietly, "Pack your things immediately. You're leaving tonight."_

Madoka closed her eyes, remembering how a few days after that, she was back outside the Academy, in the house she hadn't seen for six years. She wasn't surprised to find that she felt no regret she spent her vacations inside the school. The mansion was the same as she had left it: big and grand and empty.

With a lazy yawn, Madoka got up, dismissing the memories of her trip to the back of her mind. The whole thing was a mistake, but it was inevitable; it had been decided too far back in time – so far back it surprised even her that she remembered _agreeing_ to it.

She shook her head, stifling another yawn. _I'll sleep later, _she thought, having decided to attend the classes for the day. She had a lot of things to deal with, but at the moment, her studies and the Academy were the most important. She had even traveled during the night so she could arrive early today, knowing she'd have to catch up on a lot of lessons.

She reached for her schedule on the bedside table, pausing when she caught sight of a beautiful blue rose next to it. _Kaiten, _she thought, picking up the flower instead. Attached to it was a small card, the greeting printed on it prompting a smile on her face.

_Welcome home._

"That's right," she whispered, raising her eyes to the vast expanse of Alice Academy outside her window. "I'm home."

**x ~ x ~ x **

Misaki had arrived from his brunch only to find his co-faculty browsing through his desk. He frowned, feeling slightly irritated. "Shibuya-sensei?" he called out, his tone coming out sharper than he had intended. If there was anything he didn't like, it was anyone poking around his stuff without his permission, no matter who it was.

Thirty-year-old Shibuya Nagase looked up, appearing very surprised to find Misaki behind him. "Misaki!" he exclaimed, forcing a smile in an obvious attempt to hide his unease. "I heard you changed the syllabus, so I thought I'd give it a look." He gestured to the several spare copies of the high school biology syllabus, the one Misaki had previously told Serina about.

The young man glanced over to the papers. "I did," he admitted, taking a seat on his swivel chair. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Shibuya said, although his tone seemed to imply otherwise. He walked to his own desk, shrugging casually. "I was just wondering why you found it necessary to change it."

Misaki gave a slight smile. "I made some alterations to it," he said, "since the old one would have cramped Class A's schedule with lab activities in the latter part of the semester."

Shibuya snorted, evidently not liking what he learned. "But Ryuuki-sensei has been using it for the last two semesters."

Misaki nodded, knowing this fact all too well. "Which was why I consulted the administration before making those changes. I explained my perspective regarding the matter, and they approved of it."

The older teacher was wordless at this. It was then that the bell rang, saving him from the embarrassment that was beginning to show in his flustered face. "I didn't know that the administration was consulted about this." He shook his head. "Anyway, I have a class," he said, and without another word, practically scurried out of the room.

From behind his desk, Misaki could only shake his head in confusion, silently wondering what _that_ was all about.

**x ~ x ~ x **

The young man of seventeen was seated at the far end of the classroom, imposing and authoritative even in his casual slouch. His hair was black, and naturally unruly; he had long given up on taming it. He had the most striking pair of blue eyes, just about obscured by the dark bangs that reached well past his eyebrows. At the moment he was looking carefully at what seemed to be a map, his eyebrows drawn down in concentration.

Madoka walked over to him, suppressing a laugh when she realized that he had probably been staring at the paper for a _long _time. Even she could see that a number of their female classmates were ready to mob him as soon as he was finished with what he was doing. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked, taking a seat on the desk so that she was facing him and doing what she did best, as his best friend: shielding him from the rest of the female population.

In that characteristic arrogant manner of his, Kaiten Ikazuchi looked up, greeting her with a smirk. "Uh-huh."

She stepped on the empty seat next to him, claiming it as her own. Leaning over to him, she looked closely at the paper in his hands. It _was_ a map, showing an area near a woodland that was bordered on all sides by bodies of water. "Will it be tonight?"

"Yes. But you're _not_ coming," he said, shooting her a warning glance before she could protest. "You've only arrived, Madoka. I'm not letting you go with us when I know you're tired from traveling."

She shrugged, choosing not to argue. Kaiten had a point, and she knew it as much as he did. She'd been to enough number of missions to know when she should go, and when she shouldn't. "Who are you working with?" she asked instead. The two of them had been mission partners ever since either of them could remember, and there was hardly any assignment that they didn't work on together.

"We're only making observations, so I'm going alone."

This time she raised an eyebrow at him, amused. Kaiten had always insisted on being by himself if she couldn't go with him, and she liked to flatter herself by thinking he wouldn't be on a mission with anyone else but herself. It was probably true, anyway. "Oh. What time are you leaving?"

"We'll leave at six-thirty, after the briefing and preparation at six," he said, folding the paper and tucking it inside his pocket. "That aside," he started, staring up at her, "I have something to tell you."

She jumped down from the desk, intrigued by his serious tone. Kaiten held one of the highest positions in the Academy, but he was more often contemptuous than serious, the latter characteristic one of the things he had never been fond of. She took her place beside him, just as the bell rang, signaling the start of their next class. "I'm listening," she said, thoughtfully placing her hands on top of the desk.

Kaiten was quiet for a bit, and when Madoka turned she saw him staring at the array of dark, elaborately-fashioned rings on her fingers. She had one on her right index, and another one on either middle finger. "You're still wearing the third one I gave you?" he asked, sounding confused.

She nodded, keeping her gaze on her alice control devices. "It's a long story," she said, smirking when she noticed his silence. She very rarely wore a third ring to control her alice. "You were going to tell me something?"

With a final, fleeting glance at her alice inhibiters, Kaiten's only response was a half-smile, dark and playful. "I think I'll let you see for yourself," he simply said.

**x ~ x ~ x **

Misaki was gathering his things when Jinno stepped into the faculty room.

"Good morning, Jinno-sensei," the younger man said politely, remembering how the same teacher had tortured him and the rest of his class during Math period. He didn't take it against Jinno (but then again, he was one of the few who were interested and actually _understood_ what they were discussing), and he probably never would, now that he was a teacher himself.

Jinno handed a piece of paper to him. "There have been a few changes to the high school classes," he said. "There's an addition to your students in Class A, and that's the updated list."

"I see. Thank you, Jinno-sensei," Misaki nodded, giving the paper only a fleeting glance before he shoved it together with his other stuff. He had been too caught up in his work that he almost didn't realize it was already time for his next class. "If you'll excuse me," he said, with a polite bow, "I've a class."

**x ~ x ~ x **

Madoka watched as Kaiten shifted his gaze ahead, obviously preferring to keep to himself what he had originally meant to tell her. She quirked an eyebrow in puzzlement, and would have ventured a query if she didn't notice the rest of the class rushing to their seats. It took only a few moments before everyone was settled, waiting for their teacher like the perfect students – which they _weren't_.

"Is Class A pulling a prank today?" she whispered, wondering if her classmates finally planned to get rid of their biology teacher. Ryuuki Seijirou was a man to reckon with, but then again they were Class A, and they had the best reputation when it came to teacher terrorism.

It didn't take long before their teacher stepped into the room, prompting everyone to stand up in greeting. It was a young man who looked only a few years older than they were, and would have easily been mistaken for a student if not for his air of maturity and strictness. He was dressed modestly in his dark slacks and white polo shirt, his dark brown hair cropped short in a manner that seemed to underscore the respect he commanded so effortlessly.

"Good morning, everyone. Please take your seat," he greeted, his voice sounding formal but strangely kind at the same time.

Madoka blinked, swearing she missed a heartbeat the moment she realized who it was. "M-Misaki…" she murmured, feeling a sudden coldness creep over her.

_What are you doing here?_

"That's Misaki-sensei," Kaiten said, making Madoka turn to him in surprise. "He's teaching our biology class in place of Ryuuki-sensei." He cracked a smirk. "Isn't it amusing?"

Madoka inhaled, barely hearing her friend amidst the rapid thudding of her heart. Instead she returned her gaze to where her biology teacher stood, staring at him in silent bewilderment. It wasn't long until a wry smile fell on her lips, just as she acknowledged the irony of it all.

"Misaki you _bastard_."

**…to be continued…**

* * *

I never planned to write a Misaki-centric fan fiction. Which was why when Laika suggested for me to write one, I immediately said no. It's not that I don't like Misaki; I just find him boring, and he lacks a back story from which I can think up a plot.

It turned out I didn't need a back story. The idea for this was a flash of genius, and it was so different and so _outrageous_ that I knew I needed to write it. I meant to explain _everything _in this chapter, but it got so long I had to split it in two. It doesn't hurt to keep you on the edge of your seats with a little cliffhanger, anyway.

Anyone up to guessing what _exactly _is happening here? Keep it outrageous, because it _is_. ;)

**Hilaire  
11.15.10**


	2. The Willful Student

**Claimer:** Madoka Katashiro and Kaiten Ikazuchi are my OCs.

The interpretation of Gakuen Alice and its characters presented in this fic is my own, and has been drawn up based entirely on the anime. I _don't_ read the manga, so please overlook any inconsistencies with it that will undoubtedly turn up.

Read slowly and enjoy the suspense. :)

* * *

**Lesson Two**

**The Willful Student**

Misaki placed his files on top of the teacher's desk. "Good morning, everyone," he greeted, with a stern nod to his students. "Please take your seats."

He pulled out his lecture notes, frowning when a piece of paper fell out of his folder. _The updated class list, _he thought, recalling how Jinno had mentioned of it before he left the faculty room. "Before anything else," he started, unfolding the class list as he spoke, "I wish to call on the student joining our class today."

He looked over to the students in front of him, as if drawn to the direction where the High School Principal was seated. Kaiten Ikazuchi was quiet behind his desk, staring at his teacher with what seemed to be amusement.

Misaki furrowed his eyebrows, shifting his gaze to what used to be the vacant seat beside Kaiten. A young woman had taken claim of it, appearing very cozy where she was. She was smiling, her eyes flashing with such distinct contempt –

For _him_?

"That would be me," she said, her voice cheerful and oddly cold at the same time. She rose from her seat, giving him a perfect view of the curly, reddish-brown hair that framed her physique, its length just about reaching her waist. "Good morning, Misaki-sensei."

Misaki stared hard at her, swearing he must have literally missed a heartbeat when a pair of furious brown eyes met his own, making him freeze where he stood.

_What…?_

**x ~ x ~x**

Madoka cocked her head to one side, giving her teacher a defiant little smile. "I've just arrived from my vacation, which is why I'm only joining the class today," she started, keeping her tone light and polite. "I apologize for troubling you, Misaki-sensei."

If Misaki was surprised to see her, he gave no indication of this. He remained cool and composed where he was, regarding her with the same reserve as he had greeted the class earlier. "I understand," was all he said, his expression betraying no affect.

Madoka saw him glance over to the paper in his hand, stiffening when she realized that he was looking for her _name_. It was a few moments later that he raised his eyes to her again, those pair of dark browns without the faintest trace of recognition in them. "Miss Madoka Katashiro?" he asked, with just the right amount of interest and severity befitting him as her teacher.

She felt her smile falter at his businesslike tone, although she managed to keep it intact. "Madoka would be all right," she told him, keeping her tone conversational. "After all, you're not much older than I am, are you, Misaki-sensei?"

Misaki's expression was a mask of nonchalance. "I insist, Miss Katashiro," he simply said. Without a pause, he turned to what seemed to be his lesson plan, dismissing her trivial protest effectively.

Beside her, Kaiten struggled to keep the dark chuckle from escaping his lips. Madoka darted him a frown before returning her gaze to Misaki, unwilling to end the conversation just yet. "You're only what – twenty-five… twenty-four?"

Misaki shrugged, without even looking at her. "Twenty-two."

Madoka let an expression of surprise adorn her face. "How curious. I didn't know that the Academy accepted teachers as young as you are," she said. "Your scholastic record must have been very impressive, Misaki-sensei," she added, giving him a patronizing smile that completely offset her compliment.

Misaki glanced up at her, the slightest of frowns on his lips. "I would like to think that's the reason they invited me to be a member of the Academy's teaching faculty," he simply said, the words coming out so soft and modest that it threw her off.

_Invited? _ she thought, unsure whether to believe him or not. That he was in the Academy was enough proof that the administrators accepted him, at the very least, but that he was invited was news to her.

Then again, he _was_ Misaki, and that he would be invited to teach in Alice Academy was very likely. The man possessed intelligence beyond his years, and she knew that he was far more accomplished than any of his peers.

Madoka narrowed her eyes, throwing a glance at the inhibiters around her fingers. She was suddenly thankful that she hadn't removed the third ring yet. Her alice was dangerous enough without her emotions to trigger it. "May I ask what happened to Ryuuki-sensei?" she asked instead. Ryuuki Seijirou was the high school Biology teacher, and he was teaching Class A prior to summer vacation.

Misaki barely glanced up from his records when he answered. "All I know is that Ryuuki-sensei won't be back for an indefinite period. Until he returns, I'll be holding Class A's Biology classes." He looked over to her. "Anything else?"

For a second or two, she only stared at him, meeting his eyes in an attempt to see something – _any_thing, to help her make sense of what he must be thinking. It was only until Kaiten coughed beside her that she shook her head, both in response to Misaki's question and in a stubborn refusal to believe that he didn't recognize her. "Nothing else for now, Misaki-sensei."

Misaki nodded, seemingly satisfied by this. "All right," he said, holding up his records. "You've already missed one week worth of lectures, as well as the diagnostic test I gave the class last week," he stated, his calm so painfully absurd. "I'll assign you a study partner to help you catch up with last week's lessons, after which we can arrange the schedule of your makeup quiz."

Madoka frowned, in some distracted part of her mind cursing this one subject she never bested. "A study partner…?" she repeated, knowing she would hate Biology even more, especially now that Misaki was teaching it.

"Is there a problem?"

She fixed him with a careful stare. "Biology has never been one of my best subjects, and I think I'll need more than a study partner to help me with last week's lectures," she told him honestly, the smile on her lips twisting into a small a smirk as an interesting idea turned up in her head.

Misaki lifted an eyebrow at this. "So what do you suggest, Miss Katashiro?"

She flashed him the sweetest smile she could muster. "Would it be all right if I ask _you _to personally help me catch up with the lessons, Misaki-sensei?"

There was a pause, and in that moment that seemed to last a short lifetime, Madoka felt her heart skip a beat. She watched as Misaki's expression darken ever so faintly, and she clenched her fist at her side, only slightly calmed by the fact that he wouldn't be able to keep her away from him for too long.

Not when they were both in Alice Academy, and not when he was her teacher.

"All right, Miss Katashiro," he said, his voice coming out cold and reserved. "Please come see me after class."

**x ~ x ~x**

"Are you all right, Misaki-sensei?"

Misaki raised his head from the papers he had been blankly staring at for the last twenty minutes, forcing a smile when he saw Serina peering down at him from a distance. The woman stood a few paces from his desk, her arms crossed over her chest as she regarded him with concern. It was nearly five o'clock in the afternoon, and the two of them were the only ones left in the faculty room.

"I'm just thinking about… things," he muttered, when he found his voice.

Serina raised an eyebrow at his defeated tone, seemingly confused. "Like what?"

Misaki heaved a sigh. "Do you know Madoka Katashiro?" he asked instead, having decided that there was probably nothing wrong to ask another teacher about one of his students. Serina also taught high school Class A, and she had been in the Academy for almost a year now. At the very least, she should be acquainted with the younger woman.

Realization dawned on Serina's face upon hearing the name, and she smiled. "Is that what this is about?" she asked lightly, casting a glance at the class list that Misaki hadn't realized he had been holding. "I remember today is supposed to be her return from her vacation. I guess you've met her?"

Misaki nodded. "I have," he replied briefly, unwilling to elaborate any further. He wasn't about to tell anyone about Madoka's obvious intense dislike of him, or how bothered he was by the whole thing.

Serina shrugged. "Miss Katashiro can be quite a handful, but she's a good student," she said. "She's a student of Dangerous Ability, and one of the Academy's finest."

Misaki glanced up at Serina, an unwilling frown forming his lips. "So she goes to those missions, too," he said, knowing that being a student of Dangerous Ability required going to the missions, regardless of age or gender or even health conditions.

The other teacher nodded, turning on her heel to return to her own desk. "She's is one of the rare students who actually _love_ going to missions," she said. "She's partners with her best friend, the High School Principal, Kaiten Ikazuchi."

"The principal?" Misaki repeated, remembering quite clearly that Kaiten was the reason he was teaching high school biology now. "Miss Katashiro is terrible at Biology," he muttered, sitting up when he realized what he had said. He glanced up at Serina, and saw that the other teacher was chuckling with amusement. "She told me herself," he quickly added, and found himself managing a hollow laugh.

"What did she do, exactly?" Serina asked, with a shake of her head.

Misaki put down his class list, heaving a pensive sigh. "Nothing, really. I guess I'm just curious," he said. "Her records show that her marks have been consistently topnotch, and yet she has only gone back home this summer, for three weeks."

Serina leaned back against her swivel chair, clasping her hands together thoughtfully. "Miss Katashiro hasn't used her one-week vacation ever since she was eleven," she said. "The only reason she left the school this summer was because the administrators told her to."

Misaki furrowed his eyebrows. "Oh?"

The female teacher nodded. "This year is a bit different from the others, since her guardian required her attendance in a certain family affair," she said. "I'm not sure what it was exactly, but it was of such importance that Madoka had to be sent away to be there."

Misaki thought about this for several moments, idly fiddling with the stack of exam papers that he still needed to go over. "Did she want to go?"

Serina shook her head. "She was furious when she found out that the Academy had already arranged for her to be sent back home." She flashed an uncertain smile. "Miss Katashiro has never explicitly said it herself, but it seems like she has never been fond of going home, much less partaking in any events that she's called upon to attend."

Silence ruled over them for the next moment or two. Misaki stared outside through the windows next to his desk, letting himself drown in his musings.

It was Serina who decided to break the quiet. "Miss Katashiro has always been a stubborn girl," she said, "and I've always thought that no one – not even the Academy's administrators, or her very own best friend – can make her do something that she doesn't want to. I was actually a bit surprised when she relented and went home as she was told."

Misaki lifted an eyebrow in query. "Perhaps this time she somewhat wanted to?" he asked. He had formally met Madoka Katashiro only this morning, and he was more than certain that he was in no positions to make assumptions about her.

Serina gave a small shrug, just as the school bell rang down the hallway. "I suppose she must have wanted to, somehow." She rose from her seat, arranging her instruction materials for the meeting she had told him prior. "Whatever it was, it must have been important enough to make her leave the Academy."

Without another word, the female teacher picked up her things and started for the door. "I'm sure you'll get along well with Miss Katashiro, Misaki-sensei. Just give it time," she said, and gave him one last smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Misaki watched the door close behind Serina, his unseeing gaze fixated on it for a long time. "Get along well with my student, huh," he murmured softly, a cynical half-smile falling on his lips at the irony of it all.

He had a feeling it would be easier said than done.

**x ~ x ~ x**

"What was that about?"

Kaiten looked up from his dessert, casually lifting an eyebrow at his best friend. "That Misaki is teaching high school Biology?" he asked.

Madoka took her place opposite him on their lunch table, noting the flicker of amusement that lit up his dark blue eyes. "What else?" she said, before taking a bite of the sandwich that she had bought. "You said you wanted to tell me something, and the next thing I realized was me looking at Misaki – who is apparently our new Biology teacher."

Kaiten chuckled. "What's the use of being the High School Principal if I can't even get you close to your childhood crush?"

Madoka groaned. "You assigned Misaki to teach high school Biology because you know him to be my childhood crush?" she asked, with a little grimace.

Kaiten shot her an incredulous look. "Don't be stupid, Madoka," he scoffed. "Misaki is a genius in his own right. His position in Alice Academy is something he acquired for himself, all thanks to his impressive scholastic records. I told him to take over the high school Biology classes because I knew he would do just as well as Ryuuki Seijirou did – perhaps even better." He smirked. "That he's your childhood crush is just a bonus."

Madoka chewed on her sandwich contemplatively, wondering if the young man would still be acting so smug if he knew what he had gotten her into. Kaiten Ikazuchi was an odd mixture of detachment and possessiveness, an individual who took the definition of 'overprotective' and personified it, especially when it was concerned his best friend in the world. She had no doubts that Kaiten would not hesitate to use his position as the High School Principal if he saw fit.

_And he surely would, if he knew._

"You don't look very excited," Kaiten remarked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "And here I was thinking I'd cheer you up once you get back from your little vacation by having Misaki welcome you."

Madoka almost choked on her food. "Thanks, but I think you only made it worse," she grumbled, picking up her soda and downing about half of it.

Kaiten looked sincerely confused. "I did? You asked him to personally help you catch up with the lessons, if I remember correct."

The young woman frowned. "I wasn't expecting he'd say yes," she said. Her intention had been to provoke Misaki into showing even the faintest emotion, but she hadn't been prepared for his calm acceptance of the task to help her out with the lessons. She should have expected that a class valedictorian like him would not hesitate to take on an additional responsibility like herself, despite her obvious hostility.

Still, she had to admit that his agreement to her proposition gave her the perfect excuse to drop by the faculty room and speak to him before today day even ended – something that she never could have imagined to be possible in the last several days.

Misaki owed her answers, and Madoka was going to get them, regardless what it took.

"How long will he be teaching the class, anyway?" she asked, unwrapping the rest of her sandwich as she did. "He's only substituting for Ryuuki-sensei, isn't he?"

"Until Ryuuki gets back, Misaki will be teaching our class," Kaiten said, a frown tugging at the corner of his lips. "That man just suddenly disappeared and left Alice Academy to deal with all his bullshit. I told them to kick him out already."

Madoka chose not to comment on that. Everyone in the school knew of the animosity between her best friend and their original biology teacher. Both men were stubborn and arrogant to a fault, and neither wanted to acknowledge each other's authority in the school.

"That aside," Kaiten started, pushing away his glass of dessert, "how was your trip?"

Madoka stiffened at the question, remembering that she had yet to tell him about what happened – or at least, as much of it as she could tell him. "It wasn't as much of a deal as we thought it would be," she said tentatively.

The two of them had been both surprised when the administrators of the school _ordered_ for her to be sent out of the Academy for a _vacation_. Such a thing was simply unheard of, especially when it concerned Dangerous Ability students. Provided with no other explanation but that her guardian stipulated it, Madoka and Kaiten were left to think that the 'certain family matter that required the young woman's presence' was something of such magnitude to the point that the Academy would let her go.

"So? What is it?" Kaiten prompted.

Madoka took a sip of her drink before answering. "Somebody in the family got married."

Even the young man had to blink. "…_that's it_?"

She almost laughed at his tone despite herself. "That's it," she said, fixing her gaze on the sandwich that was suddenly and very quickly losing its appeal. She shifted in her, feeling the beginning of agitation coming on, and put down her food in favor of clutching her soda in both hands. "Just that."

"So why did you have to be there?" Kaiten asked, lifting an eyebrow at her.

Madoka shrugged, keeping her tone leveled. "It was important because it was a business partnership more than it was a wedding," she said. "They needed me to be there so I'll know what's happening to the business. They've always wanted a merger, and they decided that establishing a family tie would be the best way to secure their positions in the company."

"To make sure no one cheats," Kaiten noted.

"Something like that," she said, eyes still fixed on her drink. "Although I think it's a safety net more for the other family than it is for us." She looked up at her best friend with a cynical smirk. "I don't believe my family is above cheating when it comes to furthering our interest."

Kaiten stared at her for a long time, his handsome features taking on a rare expression of concern. "I hope it wasn't particularly taxing, seeing them again," he said quietly. He was well aware of her almost nonexistent relationship with the family she had opted not to see in the last six years.

She offered him a smile. "Thank you, Kaiten. I'm all right. It was only a small ceremony, so I didn't have to deal with a big crowd," she said. "Besides, I've always known it was going to happen. Both families agreed on it a long time ago. It was just a matter of time."

Kaiten gave her a skeptic look, but made no further comment. Instead he gestured to the wall clock behind her. "I'd like to talk more, but it's past five. Shouldn't you be heading to the faculty room by now?"

Madoka glanced over her shoulder to look. "Right," she said, surprising herself with the weakness of her knees when she stood up. "I need to go."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Kaiten asked, the look in his eyes indicating that he didn't miss that little slipup.

She shook her head, silently cursing herself for being so careless. "No way." Biology wasn't even half the reason that she was going to see Misaki that afternoon. And even if it was, there was no way she'd take a genius like Kaiten with her to witness her fail the damn subject. "I'm not embarrassing myself in front of you."

Kaiten cracked a smirk at this, choosing not to argue. "Then I'll see you when I get back from the mission, Madoka."

**x ~ x ~x**

It was barely ten minutes later when Madoka found herself standing outside the faculty room, taking a moment to steady her breathing before knocking on the door.

There was a brief pause, and then the sound of shuffling papers. "Come in," the muffled voice from inside called out, almost making Madoka pause when she recognized it as Misaki's.

Without giving herself the chance to hesitate, the young woman stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind her. It took her a moment to realize that the room was empty except for the man that she came for.

Misaki was still caught up in his work, barely even looking up from what he was doing to acknowledge her arrival. He was seated behind a dark mahogany desk near the floor-length windows, holding a pen in his hand – he was clearly grading some papers.

For a long moment Madoka remained where she stood, staring at Misaki silently. Her teacher was hunched over his desk, the look of concentration on his face indicating that nothing else mattered to him in that moment. He probably wouldn't have even noticed her if she didn't decide to speak.

"You look busy."

Misaki raised his head upon the greeting, blinking when he realized who he was looking at. "Miss Katashiro…" he said, the tone of his voice an obvious indication that he had forgotten the time.

Madoka approached her teacher without a word, stopping only when she was finally standing right in front of his desk. "Good afternoon , Misaki-_sensei_," she greeted, letting a cold smile adorn her lips. "I believe we have something to discuss this afternoon."

Misaki furrowed his eyebrows, as if what she said confused him. He put away the papers and his pen, rising from his swivel chair. "Please have a seat, Miss Ka – "

"I've had enough of your games, Misaki," she interrupted, earning a look of surprise from him. "You know I didn't come here to catch up on some stupid lectures." She watched her teacher stiffen at this, prompting her to smirk. Hah. At least she was finally getting through this bastard.

Misaki heaved a sigh before looking at her carefully, any trace of good humor disappearing from his expression. "I called you to my office to help you out with your lessons, Miss Katashiro," he said, the sudden coldness in his tone almost intimidating. "I don't appreciate you returning the favor by coming here and calling the lessons you missed 'stupid lectures'."

It was Madoka's turn to blink, watching him walk to another desk to pick up some files. It was obvious enough that her remark had upset him, but his reaction was still… far from how she was expecting him to react. "Misaki – " she said, only to pause when he suddenly turned back to where she was.

"If you're not here for the lectures, then please tell me what you want so I can get back to my work," he told her coldly, making her stop when she realized that he was holding a module that he had obviously prepared for her.

_In that short span of time? _ she thought, unable to speak.

"We'll both just be wasting our time if I keep you here when you're not interested," Misaki added, tossing the folder on top of his desk.

Madoka stared at his serious expression for a while, suddenly unsure if she was hearing him right. Why was Misaki looking at her as if he was the one who had the right to be angry? Wasn't it supposed to be her? After all, he was the one who had done something wrong. He was the one who made her look like a foolish little girl who didn't know any better than to put her trust in some promise and some silly piece of paper.

The young woman clenched her fists at her sides, ignoring the erratic beating of her heart. "You're one to talk," she scoffed. "You're the one who won't stop playing games – from a game of cat and mouse to a game of let's pretend."

She took her time making her way to him, all the while holding his confused gaze. "I was very surprised to see you here today," she told him conversationally, impressing even herself when her voice did not break. "The last place I would have thought I'd find you in is Alice Academy, Misaki-_sensei_."

Misaki frowned at her, watching her decisively halt as soon as she was standing right in front of him. "Miss Katashiro – " he muttered, seemingly made uneasy by their sudden proximity.

Madoka allowed a mirthless smile fall on her lips. "Please don't be mistaken. I only came here to ask one question," she said, her voice now barely above a whisper as she stood on her toes and leaned in close – so very, _very _ close that their lips were almost touching, and he could feel her breath ghost over his skin.

"Why did you suddenly leave me, _husband_?"

**…to be continued…**

* * *

The other day, while I was trying to sort out my folders, I stumbled upon this chapter. It was half-finished, and strangely enough, I felt compelled to finish it. I think it's mostly because of the fact that I adore side characters, and I don't like how the stories where Misaki shows up are stories about Narumi – stories where he remains a side character.

I really enjoyed writing this one, and I hoped you enjoyed reading, too. Review, maybe, and tell me what you think? :)

**Hilaire****  
07.29.12**


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